A majority of seniors choose to continue living at home, a trend known as “aging-in-place.” Maintaining independence and stability has many benefits for seniors, but this choice also comes with risks. To address those risks, WellCare Today has customized Samsung smartwatches with health and safety features designed specifically for seniors.
Three of the primary concerns for seniors, their families, and caregivers are keeping up with medication, monitoring vital signs and chronic health conditions, and rapid care response in emergency situations. WellCare Today has combined solutions for all three into one convenient wearable device. Known as the HealthAssist Watch, the device is simple to use even for those seniors who aren’t tech-savvy.
Built into a Samsung LTE, Active 2 LTE, or Galaxy 3 smartwatch, the WellCare Today system interfaces with the company’s existing web-based health management platform. When a user needs to refill a prescription, they simply press a button on their watch, and the platform completes the refill request. If a patient falls behind on refills, the HealthAssist Web Companion alerts their caregiver.
The watch’s sensors also record hourly heart rates and daily activity levels. The web platform uses these metrics, health history, medication info, and age-related statistics to predict health outcomes and alert providers of preventable issues. If the system detects a concerning health trend in a patient’s metrics, it sends their provider an alert in real-time. It also sends caregivers a monthly health report.
The device also serves as a personal emergency response system (PERS). A user can press a 911 icon on the watch face to automatically dial their local 911 dispatcher. The smartwatch also detects when a user falls, and it has a one-touch caregiver call option. Caregivers can connect Bluetooth device health monitoring devices to the watch, allowing them to check in on their loved one or to add blood glucose, blood pressure, and weight information to their combined health data.
Unlike bulky remote patient monitoring systems and PERS devices housed in a conspicuous pendant or bracelet, the HealthAssist Watch offers seniors a stylish and discreet health protection choice. That could encourage seniors aging-at-home to be more proactive about their health and safety and provide their loved ones with some peace of mind.
